‘OPENING OF AKDAMAR CHURCH GESTURE TO ARMENIANS’
New Anatolian, Turkey
March 1 2007
Recognized as one of the most important examples of Armenian
architecture, the Akdamar Church, whose restoration was recently
completed, will now be opened on April 15, after controversy over
the date.
Yusuf Halacoglu, head of the Turkish Historical Society (TTK), said
that if his schedule allows, he will attend the church’s reopening.
"We don’t have anything to hide," he said. "Opening the Akdamar Church
will be a gesture to Armenians and the whole world."
Armenian officials, leaders and culture ministers from European
countries will be invited to the opening of the church.
The restoration of the church was started three years ago and the
country has spent around YTL 4 billion on the project.
Speaking to Anka, Halacoglu said that after the conquering of Anatolia,
the Turks didn’t damage foreign assets, even in Istanbul, which was
conquered by war, nothing was destroyed. "In this way, these assets
have survived through to today," said the historian, adding that in
the Balkans, where there were once 22,000 cultural assets, there are
only 2,000 now.
Halacoglu asserted that other countries don’t give enough attention
and sensitivity as shown by Turkey. "The Mostar Bridge was destroyed
in Bosnia just because it was a Turkish work of art," he said. "Can
you imagine such a mentality treating buildings so brutally as human?
We don’t have anything to hide. Opening the Akdamar Church will be
a gesture to Armenians and the whole world."
The opening of the church located on Akdamar Island was delayed
until April 24 by the Culture Ministry, but as that day is regarded
by Armenians as marking the so-called genocide, the ministry earlier
decided on April 11.
Criticizing the date change for the opening of the church,
Turkish-Armenian community head Patriarch Mesrob II Mutafyan has said
that he won’t attend the opening.
Assassinated journalist Hrant Dink claimed in one of his last articles
that the change of date was planned and that April 11 is the same
date as April 24 going by the Ottoman calendar.